The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa, Volume 3 eBook

“Bhishma said, ’It is laid down from those
Brahmanas that are eligible as priests that they should
be conversant with the Chhandas including the Samans,
and all the rites inculcated in the Srutis, and that
they should be able to perform all such religious
acts as lead to the prosperity of the king. They
should be devotedly loyal and utter agreeable speeches
in addressing kings. They should also be friendly
towards one another, and cast equal eyes on all.
They should be devoid of cruelty, and truthful in
speech. They should never be usurers, and should
always be simple and sincere. One that is peaceful
in temper, destitute of vanity, modest, charitable,
self-restrained, and contented, possessed of intelligence,
truthful, observant of vows, and harmless to all creatures,
without lust and malice, and endued with the three
excellent qualities, devoid of envy and possessed
of knowledge, deserves the seat of Brahman himself.
Persons with such qualities, O sire, are the best
of priests and deserve every respect.’

“Yudhishthira said, ’There are Vedic texts
about the gift of Dakshina in sacrifices. There
is no ordinance, however, which lays down that so much
should be given. This ordinance (about the gift
of Dakshina) has not proceeded from motives connected
with the distribution of wealth. The command
of the ordinance, in consequence of the provision in
cases of incapacity, is terrible. That command
is blind to the competence of the sacrificer.[237]
The audition occurs in the Vedas that a person should,
with devotion, perform a sacrifice. But what can
devotion do when the sacrificer is stained by falsehood?[238]

“Bhishma said, ’No man acquires blessedness
or merit by disregarding the Vedas or by deceit or
falsehood. Never think that it is otherwise.
Dakshina constitutes one of the limbs of sacrifice
and conduces to the nourishment of the Vedas.
A sacrifice without Dakshina can never lead to salvation.
The efficacy, however, of a single Purnapatra is equal
to that of any Dakshina, however rich. Therefore,
O sire, everyone belonging to the three orders should
perform sacrifices.[239] The Vedas have settled that
Soma is as the king himself to the Brahmanas.
Yet they desire to sell it for the sake of performing
sacrifices, though they never wish to sell it for
gaining a livelihood. Rishis of righteous behaviour
have declared, agreeably to the dictates of morality,
that a sacrifice performed with the proceeds of the
sale of Soma serves to extend sacrifices.[240] These
three, viz., a person, a sacrifice and Soma, must
be of good character. A person that is of bad
character is neither for this nor for the other world.
This audition has been heard by us that the sacrifice
which high-souled Brahmanas perform by wealth earned
by excessive physical labour, is not productive of
great merit. There is a declaration in the Vedas
that penances are higher than sacrifices. I shall
now speak to thee of penances. O learned prince,